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National Floor Covering Association

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National Floor Covering Association

The National Floor Covering Association (NFCA) promotes industry standards for resilient, carpet, hardwood, laminate, cork and bamboo floor coverings.

08/26/2026

We do it to ourselves.

Multiple projects recently, all challenged with the same issue. What’s the solution?

Time and time again we see constructors and architects pitched against each other having used thin (approximately 2”) concrete toppings over compressible acoustic matting over a wooden subfloor, trying to figure out why the concrete cracked throughout causing the need for expensive repairs.

Was it a design flaw? Installation error? A product failure? Maybe use and abuse during construction?

Then the flooring installer arrives on site to begin work and has no choice but to reject the substrate due to cracking, instability, unevenness, and a host of other related issues.

Now the deep dive into possible solutions enters the conversation - not just the high costs but also the time required to fill the multiple cracks that have developed and then pour hydraulic cement over top to tie everything together and provide a smooth surface ready for a glue down resilient floor covering. All this while still meeting the construction deadline.

Stress.

Isn’t the risk that a ridged material such as 2” concrete with no reinforcement and questionable flexural strength, placed over a suspended wooden subfloor and a compressible matting, a roll of the dice?

Of course there will be movement; bounce, deflection, vibration that will stress the whole system, especially during the construction process where live rolling loads, stacks of drywall and so on can deliver thousands of pounds of weight.

Have you experienced challenges with such a system?

What have your experiences been? www.nfca.ca

08/25/2026

NFCA ONLINE EDUCATION IN SEPTEMBER

INFECTION CONTROL RISK ASSESSMENT (ICRA)
Managing Healthcare Construction Risk to Protect Patients
with David Gross, Executive Director, INSTALL

Wednesday, September 9th
4pm EST (2pm MDT, 1pm PST)

Healthcare flooring installation requires specialized knowledge that extends well beyond traditional installation practices. Working safely in occupied healthcare facilities demands an understanding of Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA), environmental containment, infection prevention protocols, and regulatory compliance throughout every phase of the project.

These competencies help protect patients, support healthcare operations, and ensure successful project outcomes.

And these competencies are not procurement afterthoughts - they are critical risk-management decisions that protect patients, healthcare staff, facility operations, and project stakeholders.

Professional healthcare flooring installers must possess specialized knowledge and competencies that extend well beyond conventional flooring installation techniques. Their responsibilities include maintaining infection control while healthcare facilities remain operational through:

▪ Implementing environmental containment measures, including temporary barriers, negative air systems, and airborne particulate control.

▪ Maintaining the documentation required to demonstrate ICRA compliance, support regulatory requirements and preserve manufacturer warranties.

▪ Understanding the distinction between personal protective equipment (PPE) intended to protect workers and infection control measures designed to protect patients and the healthcare environment.

Register for this free session here: https://www.nfca.ca/education-calendar/sept-9-infection-control-risk-assessment-icra/

**Self-Reporting CEUs where applicable.

With support from our National Education Leaders.

ARDEX Americas, Custom Building Products, Karndean Designflooring, LATICRETE International, Mapei, Primco Limited, TEC Specialty Products, UZIN UTZ, Wilson M. Beck Insurance Services (Specialty) Inc.

08/20/2026

You can’t manage what you don’t monitor.

Two concrete surface surveys are required, months apart, to manage delivery of flat, level new concrete slabs ready to receive floor coverings.

Survey #1 has nothing to do with the floor covering installation. Survey #2 has everything to do with the floor covering installation.

Survey #1
Concrete Trade work should be measured for Floor Flatness (FF) and Floor Levelness (FL) in accordance with ASTM E1155 within 3 days of concrete placement and wet finishing. After FF/FL values are proved to meet specification, deformation of those same slabs WILL take place for months after initial pour and cure.

Note: FF/FL values for suspended slabs may degrade by up to 40% (i.e., FF32 could become FF20). Or, put another way, when reviewing flatness for flooring, an acceptable 3/16" gap under a 10' straightedge may become an unacceptable 3/8" gap and rejectable by the floor covering installation trade.

Deformation should be expected, and the slab delivery process modified to correct it.

Once concrete slabs have experienced shoring removal, dead and live loads, shrinkage, creep, crawl, deflection, gravity, and when deformation has essentially stopped, a second survey of concrete surfaces must be performed in preparation for floor covering installation.

Survey #2
A third-party surface mapping process performed by a testing agency (hired by the General Contractor and or Owner) must confirm acceptable flatness and levelness when slab deformation has slowed/stopped.

These results will guide the work requirements of the ‘Hardened Concrete Finishing Trade’ (Division 03) who must now begin the work of ‘grinding and Pouring as necessary’ to bring the flatness to floor covering requirements (and levelness to architectural specification for related trades).

Affected trades, including flooring, review the 2nd survey reports and after verifying acceptable results, proceed with their scope, or reject unacceptable results triggering the need for more work by the Hardened Concrete Finishers.

Note: The floor covering installation trade does not require level surfaces to continue but does require flat surfaces described as 3/16" gap within 10', 360 degrees, wall to wall. FF/FL measurement system per ASTM E1155 does NOT guarantee delivery of acceptable surfaces for the floor covering installation to proceed.

Levelness is also critical for the serviceability of any facility for numerous reasons including operation of swinging doors, doors on track systems, rolling loads such as instrument trolleys, top heavy catering or IV carts, and cleaning equipment.

Without the correct budget, process and monitoring of the concrete delivery process, quality is hard, if not impossible to deliver. With the right planning… it is absolutely manageable.

08/05/2026

Ask these questions before you dedicate showroom floor space to just any old (or new) product based on price and marketing material promises:

1. Can this product realistically serve as a floor covering over the expected typical life span of a floor covering (10 to 30 years) and meet your clients warranty expectations?

2. Is this product robust enough in design and fabrication to perform without breaking down when subject to reasonable wear and tear?

3. Labour cost - can this product be installed easily and in a manner that allows a floor covering installer to fit the product properly while remaining time efficient in order to make a fair living?

4. Will the products locking mechanism fracture in a way that can’t be detected at time of install and subsequently fail in higher traffic areas months later generating another unnecessary complaint that is hard to resolve?

5. Does the product require a super flat substrate to ensure minimal deflection (up/down movement) when walked on?

6. Will your clients be required to spend more money on subfloor preparation than on the floor covering itself?

7. Have you tested the product in your warehouse/showroom before selling it so you can be reasonably sure you are also selling performance, not just a look and a price?

If not, it’s your brand in the manufacturers’ hands and not all manufacturers are born equal. www.nfca.ca

07/29/2026

NFCA’s Quality Assurance Program (QAP) continues to grow across Canada helping construction teams understand and plan ahead to manage the challenges of installing floor coverings into fast-paced construction projects with warranties intact.

When the program is included, typical challenges can be dealt with openly in a fact-based, timely manner.

For this to happen, QAP meetings start early to address items including:

- Concrete slab surfaces before they are poured and finished.
- Testing requirements.
- Ambiguities in the specifications.
- Who is responsible for what throughout the process.
- Who is installing and with what qualifications.

This helps to avoid confusion, disputes, unplanned extras, and delays by getting the client, consultant, constructor, floor covering installer and the manufacturers of the specified products on the same page from the start instead of at the eleventh hour when flooring typically shows up on the construction schedule.

You can access NFCA’s Division 09 ‘short specification’ for use when placing QAP and minimum industry standards onto a project here: https://www.nfca.ca/free-resources/nfca-quality-assurance-program-short-specification/

Flooring contractors bidding on projects MUST look in the ‘General Section’ of the architectural specifications, under Division 09 Flooring for QAP instructions and carry the cost of the inspection program.

For more information contact us at www.nfca.ca

07/28/2026

The National Floor Covering Association of Canada (NFCA) proudly welcomes the Calgary Construction Association as its newest member. This collaborative partnership champions quality assurance and industry best practices that ensure standards that benefit Canada’s floor covering industry and the broader commercial construction landscape across the country. https://cgyca.com/

07/08/2026

20 Celsius (68F) during the day. 9 Celsius (48F) at night.

So what?

Flooring and related products can react excessively to humidity and temperature conditions that range outside of manufacturers’ tolerances.

Monitoring indoor environmental conditions around the clock should be a requirement - not just a recommendation. Manufacturers of adhesive and flooring can dictate this best practice by including it in their installation guidelines.

Example: Adhesive spread during the daytime will be trying to set up and cure through the night…a critical process that determines a strong, long-lasting bond for any type of glue down flooring system.

Monitoring equipment is inexpensive, readily available from numerous sources and easily set up in and around the installation area.

With this set up the project team can now confirm (and share) site metrics that prove daytime AND nighttime conditions remained within manufacturers tolerance.

The cost of doing this? Negligible. The convenience? Undeniable.

The alternative is the same typical construction risk and numerous projects getting caught up in unnecessary, expensive on-going repairs due to shrinkage, expansion, bond failure, and other related issues. www.nfca.ca

06/30/2026

Cutting corners when installing carpet, can lead to the development of wrinkles, ripples, loose areas, and premature wear, and another avoidable claim.

In such cases, the carpet may not have been properly power stretched during installation, or the installation did not meet the manufacturer’s requirements for seam construction, transitions, or substrate preparation.

Carpet doesn’t simply “grow” wrinkles.

Loose carpet can become a tripping hazard, create excessive wear in traffic lanes, and lead to customer dissatisfaction long before the carpet should be showing signs of age.

Homeowners want a warranty.

To get a warranty, installers must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Installation guidelines cover critical details such as power stretching requirements, seam construction, cushion selection, and subfloor preparation.

These requirements are not suggestions — they are conditions of the warranty.

Installation instructions are available from the carpet manufacturer and should be reviewed before every installation.

Take a hard pass on products that do not come with clear installation guidelines. www.nfca.ca

06/24/2026

What’s the difference between these two moisture readings in a concrete slab, 5.9% and 3.6%?

How about another unnecessary moisture claim and possible $50,000 hit off your bottom line due to failed adhesive and or floor expansion related issues! Easily avoided.

Recently I received a call from an installation foreman who shared some good news having flagged a wet slab surface in a 2500 square foot area of a new build.

He did this using his new moisture testing equipment.

He explained RH In-situ Probe testing was performed weeks prior at five locations in accordance with ASTM F2170 and verified as having passed with an average result of 79% internal slab Relative Humidity (NFCA and manufacturers tolerance 85%).

A few weeks later, installation was put on hold by the flooring installer after he performed the specified ‘Time of Install’, Electrical Impedance Surface Moisture Test using a calibrated, Tramex CMXE5 (shown in the picture).

Equal to or less than 4% is the tolerance (check pass/fail number for each different type of moisture testing equipment used, and for the geographical location you are testing in).

The result…a warranty that remains intact and one less moisture related floor covering claim added to the ever-growing number of reported issues/failures (now thought to be in the multiple billions of dollars per year) because ‘at time of installation testing’ is NOT typically included in the flooring or adhesive manufacturers installation guidelines!

Why? Because old habits die hard… especially in construction.

Kudos to those manufactures who have updated their installation guidelines to include this critical testing requirement.

It’s simple to perform, non-destructive, provides instant results, it’s inexpensive and effective!

06/19/2026

National Floor Covering Association (NFCA) of Canada is very pleased to welcome Caliber Sport Systems Inc. as a new member supporting quality assurance and best practices in Canada’s floor covering industry. https://calibersport.com/

Address

#2/19299 94th Avenue
Surrey, BC
V4N4E6

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm

Telephone

1 604 371 0137

Website

http://www.nfca.ca/

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